Shadow Hearts: Malice Rising
by Tyger
Summary: The time is 1941.  Detective Johnny Garland has been given a mission by a mysterious woman that could change the fate of the world.  Who must he find and what will happen when he does?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer- I don't own Shadow Hearts.

Prologue

Summer, 1941

Brooklyn, New York

Within the bustling streets of the vibrant city that is Brooklyn, was a small, quaint building that most people wouldn't even take a second look at as they passed by on their way home from work. That building was home to a young man that had, at one time, saved the world from complete destruction.

On that building was a simple sign that simply read, "Johnny's Detective Agency".

Inside, a single ceiling fan spun slowly above the studio-like room with dozens of newspaper clippings of recent and not-so-recent events pinned to almost every wall. The room was fairly well kept with books covering the shelves and dust kept to the minimum.

The only place that wasn't, was the lone desk that faced the front door.

Piles of papers, writing utensils, cups, even food was scattered about in a reckless manner. From the looks of it, it has been like that for a very long time, possibly weeks.

Behind the gigantic pile, seemingly hid by this phenomenon, was a young man in his late twenties. The man was leaned back on his chair, feet propped on his desk and hands on his chest as he softly snoozed the afternoon away. A simple yellow fedora shielded his eyes from the light that crept through the windows.

In the background, the soft sound of trumpets and saxophones could be heard as jazz music from the radio filled the air as a sort of lullaby.

Everything seemed calm and serene, like a fragile picture that would crack at the slightest disturbance.

"Master…, oh Master. It's almost time for Dinner." Came a voice in another room.

"Master…" The serenity was shattered by a great explosion of noise that shook the man awake.

"Hey, what the… wwhhoooaaaa!" He lost his balance and his arms waved wildly as he fell to the ground, his hat rolling to the far side of the room.

He was a bit irritated by being woken up by such a racket and groggily made his way to the noise.

"Lenny, what's going on back there?" He groaned as he rubbed an eye with the palm of his right hand, peering through the opening to see his butler and friend, on his hands and knees, panicking to clean up a mess of dishes and food that covered the floor.

The man looked up in surprise as he looked back at the mess and his arms dropped in defeat.

"Master Johnny, I'm so sorry. It's just that my hand slipped when I was busy making Dinner and…"

Lenny stopped his rambling as this was causing Johnny to laugh a little.

"It's alright, Lenny. How many times have you gotten me out of hairy situations?" He said as he knelt down to help.

Lenny nodded and handed him a cloth as they both started to clean.

"I know that it's been hard lately, Master. With business being so slow and this war that's been going on. Some are even saying that it could spread to America if it gets any worse."

"Don't worry about it. I know that being a detective isn't the most stable of jobs. Even though I helped put Capone away, my credit as a detective hasn't become well known. But we'll make it through this so lets put on a brave face shall we."

Lenny seemed to be comforted by his words and nodded in agreement.

After they cleaned the mess, they stood up and placed the mess in the garbage.

"There, that's better."

"Thank you very much for you help, sir." Lenny bowed as he usually does.

Johnny was still amazed at Lenny's stature.

Johnny was already a young adult. Standing just over 6 feet tall and developed into a lean, broad-shouldered man, even though he was relatively short and small for his age when he was younger.

Lenny was almost 60, but still his massive build was as large as ever and time had only touched the hair on his eyebrows. Must have something to do with his Godhand power.

"Well it's almost time to close up for the day. I'll take care of the office and I'll be back in a minute, ok."

Johnny left the kitchen and went to close the shop when he noticed someone sitting in _his_ chair, their feet propped up on _his_ desk.

"Hey, what the hell do you think you are doing?" He demanded as he approached.

"So is this where I can find the great detective, Johnny Garland?" Came a woman's voice.

He stopped when she spoke, possibly due to her mature and sensuous tone. His eyes focused on her long, slender legs that ended to a simple brown cloak that hid the rest of her form.

"Yes, I'm Johnny Garland. How may I be of service?" He asked, noticing that the bell that was over the door had never rang.

The woman seemed to give a nod of approval as she got up from the chair and turned to him.

"I just want to make sure that you have the credentials to find someone."

She grabbed the chair with her right hand and threw it with great force.

Johnny was almost shocked by the attack, but quickly knocked the chair to the side, which shattered against the wall.

He was _really_ shocked when the woman was in his face, crossing the gap too fast for his eyes to notice.

She reached out and placed a hand on his chest as magic shined from it, which launched him across the room, breaking the wall from the impact.

"_She's strong."_

He pushed himself out from the hole and she charged again, but he was ready this time.

He deflected a sharp barrage of blows meant for his face and crouched under a high spin kick, giving him the chance to sweep her leg out from under her.

She jumped over it as if she knew what he was thinking, landing gracefully a short distance from him.

"You know you can't be victorious if you hold back against your opponent." She stated as she hid her arms in her cloak.

But that wasn't the reason behind his way of fighting. The thing was that there was no violence in her strikes, so he was hesitant to attack her full force.

"Such a gentleman to not strike a lady or is that all that you are capable of?" She provoked before she charged.

"Wrong, I just see no point in this fight!" He met her charge as he reared back his fist as dark red energy crackled from it.

The woman let out a gasp of surprise, allowing her to pause long enough for Johnny to punch her in the face, sending her spinning head over heels, knocking her through the giant pile on his desk to land in a heap at the front door.

"So do you want more?" He asked as he cracked his knuckles.

The woman smirked as she rose to her feet, the blow having no affect.

"That was enough. I'll say you pass." She replied, looking down to flick off some old food from her cloak.

Johnny blinked in confusion as his brain processed her words.

"You mean that was just a test!" He blasted in surprise.

"Just an evaluation to see if you were skilled enough for my task. You still have a long way to go."

A large X formed on his white shirt as if by an incredibly sharp blade.

"What the…"

"So, shall we get down to business?" She walked over to the other side of the desk and sat down.

Johnny was a bit unnerved, but picked up a stool as his chair was in pieces.

"Master Johnny. Is everything alright in there?"

"Yeah, everything is just fine!" Johnny shouted as he looked at the woman.

"Well I'm glad that you approve. But what about this mess you made? I don't have the money for this!" he yelled.

"If it's funds, don't worry about it." She reached under the cloak and brought out a large bag of gold, the contents spilling on the desk.

"Consider this an advance. There is more where that came from."

Johnny was dumbstruck by the glittering coins that he almost lost himself.

"Of course, this sounds a little funny. First you attack me and then you offer me what looks to be thousands in gold pieces."

"Tens of thousands, actually. But I can understand your apprehension."

"As I should be. With this being the Great Depression, gold is hard to come by. Also considering the cloak, you want this to be anonymous."

"That would be preferred."

She wasted no time by pulling out a picture and handing it to him.

"I'm looking for this man. I haven't seen him in a very long time."

Johnny took a look at it and inspected it. It was worn with age and so it was a little hard to distinguish specifics. He could just make out that it was a picture of a family.

"His name his Yuri Hyuga and he's been missing for years so I hope that you will be able to find him for me."

Johnny continued to look at the picture.

"So you want me to find this guy for you? Is there any more information that you can give me?"

She brought out a small accessory. A silver cross.

"This belonged to his mother, Anne. She died when he was a young boy. It was something that he cherished dearly, so maybe he will be able to recognize it should you find him. Also there might be someone who knows of his whereabouts, a Roger Bacon."

"Roger Bacon?" A name that he hadn't heard in a long time.

"Yes, he might know something if you can find him. My efforts have been rather difficult for quite some time."

She got up and turned towards the door.

"I wish you the best of luck in finding him. Also, be careful."

And with that, she left, the bell ringing as she opened and closed it.

"I wonder who that woman was? She wasn't ordinary, that's for sure."

He looked at the picture again as his mind began to work.

"Roger Bacon, eh. It would be nice to visit him. Of course I'll have to find a ship that will take me to Great Britain. But something tells me there's more to this than just a missing person. But then it wouldn't be fun if it wasn't."

He walked over and picked up his fedora and placed it on his head.

"Detective Johnny Garland is on the case."

XXXXX

The next day, Johnny was up and about at the crack of dawn. Excitement filled him at the prospects of such a case. This is what he lived for when it came to being a detective, finding clues and having a satisfied client.

"Ok Lenny, I'm heading out! Take care of everything while I'm gone, ok!" He shouted as he ran downstairs.

"Are you sure that you don't want breakfast?" Lenny poked his head out from the kitchen.

"Thanks, but I've got to strike while the iron is hot!"

"Then take the bag that I've already made for you!"

Johnny noticed a large sack already prepared for him. Inside it had several premade lunches, along with money and other supplies.

"Lenny, what would I ever do without you?"

The man scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Good luck, Master. Come back safely."

"I will, don't worry." He waved as he opened the door with the morning sun in his face.

"This is gonna be a great adventure."


	2. The German Front

The German Front

The next day, Johnny was up and about at the crack of dawn. Excitement filled him at the prospects of such a case. This is what he lived for when it came to being a detective, finding clues and having a satisfied client.

Placing the fedora on his head, he quickly ran down the stairs as if he had no time to waste.

"Ok Lenny, I'm heading out! Take care of everything while I'm gone, ok!" He shouted as he ran downstairs.

"Are you sure that you don't want breakfast?" Lenny poked his head out from the kitchen.

"Thanks, but I've got to strike while the iron is hot!"

"Then take the bag that I've already made for you!"

Johnny noticed a large sack already prepared for him. Inside it had several premade lunches, along with money and Crests.

"Lenny, what would I ever do without you?"

The man scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Good luck, Master. Come back safely."

"I will, don't worry." He waved as he opened the door with the morning sun in his face.

He took a deep breath of the fresh morning air and thought about his course of action.

"Ok, the first thing to do is find a ship. Being as there is a war going on in Europe. My best bet is a merchant ship. Guess I'll start heading for the bay area."

He stretched his arms over his head and stretched his legs a bit. His first big case keeping his energy high that he could barely settle down.

"But a morning jog wouldn't be so bad."

Several men were watching the young man from across the street as he took off at a steady pace down the street. Each dressed in straight black business suits and black fedoras.

"Captain. Iz he one of zem?" The man asked, his voice carried a thick German accent.

"Yes, the General mentioned that he could be a big problem for the Fuhrer if he gets involved with our plans." Another man replied with the same heavy accent.

"What of the woman? She is our primary target." Asked another.

"In due time, Lieutenant. For now if we can take care of zis target. That is less for the Wehrmacht to worry about."

XXXXX

After about 10 minutes of jogging, Johnny felt like it was enough and decided to start on his first lead and head to Great Britain.

He started to wave down a taxi when he heard someone clearing their throat beside him.

"Excuse me, but you wouldn't happen to be Mr. Garland, per chance?" The man asked politely, taking off his hat and placing it on his chest in a gentlemanly fashion.

Johnny instantly felt a strong intent to kill from this man. Being a detective, knowing how to read people can be a life-saving skill.

"Who wants to know?" He asked bluntly, a cocky New York accent peeked briefly as his posture changed defensively.

The man's solemn expression turned into a sinister grin as two men leaped over his shoulders from behind. Each brandishing a large combat knife.

Johnny reacted instantly and took off into an alley, narrowly dodging their attacks.

The young man kept running down it until there was only a large brick wall in his path.

"So waz zis your strategy, Mr. Garland?" The man in charge said, his generic American accent replaced with German. "I can see that you are familiar in combat. This narrow alley prevents you from being attacked from all sides, but I zink zat you misjudged the obstruction. No." He pulled out a large cigar and lit it, its strong fragrance filling the air.

"You think so?" Johnny took off his fedora and sack, placing them on the ground. "I just wanted a private conversation with the soon-to-be-deceased." He said as he cracked his knuckles.

"For starters, who are you and what do you want? You're obviously not from around here. Based on your accent and choice of weapons. German Storm Troopers would be the best guess."

"You are correct, Mr. Garland. Your deductive skills are quite impressive and so as a courtesy to your impending demise, I will tell you." The man took a puff of his cigar before explaining.

"I am Captain Adalwulf and zese are my two best men. Lt. Rainer and Sgt. Ivon. We are a part of a select few who are under orders to destroy all who pose a threat to the Fuhrer's rise in power. We were in pursuit of a traitor who made contact with you recently. Knowing zat, you are under the contract as a viable threat. Had you two never met, we might have overlooked your meager practice and never bothered you. However, according to our sources, you are not one to be defeated so eazily so zat is why I came myself to ensure zat ze job was finished properly."

"So you know about me. Guess this saves time on the introductions." Johnny brandished his trustworthy Bowie knife, which was easily twice the size of the mens' combat knives.

Ivon and Rainer approached him cautiously, the narrowness making it hard for a good attack. Adalwulf stayed in the back, smoking casually.

Johnny readied himself, seeing how experienced the two were based on their movements and teamwork as they shifted back and forth without any signals. This meant they've spent a lot of time fighting together.

In the blink of an eye, Ivon leaped into the air and Rainer charged low, creating a simultaneous attack.

Johnny needed to time it right or else he'd be severely wounded, if not killed by such an orchestrated attack.

He decided to gamble and parried Rainer's thrust and sidestepped Ivon who slashed at his throat. He brought out his other hand, which sparked with energy that he had been preparing from the start. Rearing back his fist, he sent a powerful punch that collided with Ivon's face, sending him into the wall with a powerful explosion.

His arm lit up with pain as he looked down to see a long cut made by Rainer, who attacked without hesitation.

Garland saw that these guys were true professionals. Not even flinching when one of their members fall. But was strange was that the man that he had punched get up with little trouble at all, dusting off his tattered suit like he had merely tripped.

"Very impressive. Your power over Malice is remarkable, but don't think that you are the only one who can wield it." Adalwulf explained. "Of course, very few humans can actually use it with their own bodies, so our scientists developed ways to channel it by artificial means."

Ivon's torn suit was revealed to have something underneath it, like a kind of armor of some sort.

"But seeing that this fight could involve the public, and we don't want to be noticed by your government. I will have to take care of this."

The two retreated behind the Captain as he stepped forward, taking off his jacket. Underneath was a German Saber that was rather beautiful with its decorations, which one would believe was just for show.

"Consider it an honor, Mr. Garland. Had you continued fighting them, your death would be rather long and painful, but I will make it quick and painless for you." He unsheathed the saber and brandished it with expert handling. His stance resembling that of a fencing style, the tip lowered and his other hand behind his back.

Johnny could already sense that he was a greater threat than the other two, much greater.

"Sorry, but I don't have time to die right now. You'll just have to try another time!" He charged, his knife edge extending into a sword of solid energy.

Adalwulf grinned as he blocked the attack, stopping Johnny's blade cold. Red energy flashing upon impact.

Johnny didn't waste time and continued to pressure the German, but it did little good as his foe parried and blocked each strike with ease, not even budging from his position.

"_I don't understand, how can I not get passed his sword and why doesn't he attack if he is this confident in his defensive skills." _

"You've have amazing strength and talent. Had this been a normal sword, it would have easily been cut in two on your first strike. But like I said, we've incorporated Malice so that ordinary soldiers may wield it."

He knocked Johnny off balance as he lowered himself, his other hand that he had behind his back was crackling with **BLACK** energy.

He placed it on Johnny's stomach, who had no time to move before he was consumed by the blast and launched into the far wall before he exploded.

"You see, my sword is not for attacking. It is merely a defense and diversion for my true ability."

The bricks were burned to ash by the intensity of the attack, leaving a smoke cloud in its wake.

Johnny stumbled from the smoke, his body having taken heavy damage from that attack. Enough that if he hadn't transformed, he would have turned into ash just like the brick wall.

Adalwulf's smirk only seemed to grow when he saw that Johnny was still alive.

"You are just full of surprises. You're the first to ever survive my 'Greeting'. It makes me wonder what else you might have in store for me should this fight continue."

"Just what is that power? That can't be Malice." Johnny exclaimed.

"As a matter of fact, it is. You see, for every single thing in nature there sometimes occurs a phenomenon when something transcends its peers, be it living or otherwise. Like when a rock becomes a diamond or apes become humans. Even energy can transcend what it once was. As we are the Pure Race, it is possible for us to achieve this and I am the first and only to have this new power. _**CHAOS!"**_

Johnny could see the powerful aura that radiated from him. Never had he felt such a power before. Fighting him, even at full strength, the chance at victory would be too small considering that Adalwulf only seemed to reveal a fraction of his power with that "Greeting".

"Ok then, I guess I got a real fight on my hands." He said as he now brandished his dual bladed sword.

Adalwulf prepared himself as he raised his saber.

"Come, I would like to see how strong you really are."

Johnny's aura engulfed him in radiant red as he charged again, spinning his weapon around his body as he did.

At the last instant, he stopped, swinging his blade upwards from the ground, tossing up a giant wave of earth and rock in their faces.

The dustcloud and rocks pelted the building across the street, punching through walls and overturning cars like a hurricane.

The men were left confused and dazed as they coughed until the dust clouds disburse.

"I underestimated him." Adalwulf murmured as he saw that the man was long gone.

"Captain, if we hurry, we might be able to catch him." Said Ivon, but Adalwulf stopped him.

"Not necessary, I admire his tactfulness and intelligence at facing a superior opponent. It iz how the Americanz zay, 'Live to fight another day'. He knew that retreating waz ze best option and did so with the best chance of success. Also his knowledge of this area is greater than ourz zo he could eazily get away even if we ran after him."

"So what now?" Asked Rainer.

"The woman is the priority as this one has escaped. We will continue on her trail until we meet again." The Captain replied.

"How can you so sure about that?" Rainer asked.

Adalwulf simply grinned as he took out another cigar.

"The fate of a wolf and this prey are destined to meet again. I'm just glad that this hunt won't be a boring one."


End file.
